Illinois State Police Crack Down on Fatigued Truck Drivers

This week, Illinois State Police will be paying even closer attention to fatigued truck drivers, as they are cracking down on truck operators who are spending more time driving than allowed.

Truck crash causes injuries in Georgia.

This is the state police’s way of honoring the memory of two state troopers who were killed in the line of duty by sleepy truck drivers. The truck safety check also is intended to make the roads of Illinois safer for all citizens.

The purpose of the truck safety check is to ensure truck drivers are not driving more than 70 hours per week.

Another state trooper was killed a few months before Sauter, as well. Trooper Kyle Deatherage was standing next to a car at a traffic stop on I-55 in Illinois when a trucker struck and killed him. The truck driver had failed to slow down or change lanes.

The Illinois State Police remind truck drivers this week that they should not drive more than their federally allowed weekly hours. They also should move over to the next lane if they see an emergency vehicle on the shoulder of the highway with their lights flashing.

FMCSA regulations also state that a truck driver cannot drive after 60 or 70 hours after seven or eight consecutive days on duty.

As tractor trailer crash attorneys in Virginia, we urgently remind all commercial truck drivers to obey the above federal regulations. These truck driving hour restrictions are for their own safety as well as the public’s.